The present invention relates to a gaming system, and more particularly, relates to a casino card gaming system.
Numerous card gaming systems have been developed for entertainment purposes. Many of these card gaming systems have been adapted for use in casino wagering card games, such as blackjack and poker, to name a few. The development of successful casino card games must address several distinct criteria.
As with all successful games, a successful casino card game must be sufficiently entertaining for the players. In order to be sufficiently entertaining, a card game must balance many, often competing factors. These factors include complexity and challenge of game play, the pace of game play, the element of chance, the level of player skill and strategy, and the amount of player interaction.
Aside from the effect on the entertainment value of the game, the complexity of game play is of practical importance to casino type wagering games. Unduly high complex rules of game play will prevent the attraction of new players to a casino game. Simplicity of game play allows the game to be easily accessible to all; however, overly simplistic game play often results in an unchallenging and unentertaining game.
The pace of game play is also of unique importance for a successful casino game. The rapid turnover, or cycle time, in the wagering rounds is preferred in a casino game to maximize the wagering cycles of the game. This must also be balanced against how the pace of the game play affects the entertainment offered by the game. In other words, at some point, further increasing the speed of the game will reduce the entertainment value of the game.
Regarding the element of chance, it is a hallmark of casino type games that the element of chance plays a substantial role in the game. A game based solely on skill may tend to inhibit new players in a casino game environment. However, in most casino card games, winning is based on a combination of skill and the element of chance, wherein a player""s increased skill will increase his likelihood of winning particularly through repeated play. Consequently, the element of chance and the level of player skill and strategy necessary are both of importance.
As noted above, the amount of player interaction associated with the game is one of the elements factored into the entertainment that the game provides for the players. Player interaction concerns both the player""s involvement with the game and the player""s involvement with the remaining players. Further, in casino games, there is concern over the amount or effect of one player""s actions on the remaining players. This is particularly true in games in which the players are playing primarily against the house (i.e., not directly against other players). In other words, it can be a problem in certain casino card games where one player""s xe2x80x9cpoor playxe2x80x9d is viewed by the remaining players as adversely affecting their likelihood of winning.
There is a continuous need in the casino gaming industry to develop entertaining games providing a new fresh look and feel which successfully balances all of the game factors including those discussed above. It is an object of the present invention to provide a casino card game successfully balancing these factors. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gaming method based upon utilizing a conventional fifty-two card deck of cards. It is another object of the present invention to provide a casino card gaming table specifically accommodating a casino card gaming system balancing all of the above factors.
The objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a card gaming method utilizing a conventional fifty-two card deck of cards and card gaming table according to the present invention. The gaming method according to the present invention includes determining the players for a given round prior to dealing the hand of cards to each of the designated players for the round. The method includes determining which of the designated players are eligible for at least one bonus card in a given round. A hand of cards is dealt to each of the designated players for a given round with each player""s hand consisting of the same number of cards. A set of common cards is provided for the given rounds and at least one bonus card is provided for the players eligible for the at least one bonus card in a given round. The bonus card, or cards, may be utilized by the players eligible for the at least one bonus card and those players"" final hands. The players which continue through the given round will determine whether they wish to utilize the common cards as part of the players"" hands or not. Each player utilizing the common cards will discard from that player""s original hand a number of cards equal to the number of common cards. The discarded cards are not part of the player""s final hand. The relative ranking of the final hand for each player that continues through the round is determined wherein the relative ranking is generally based upon the statistical likelihood of determining a predetermined combination of cards in which the relative ranking accounts for the use of the set of common cards and the at least one bonus card.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the card gaming method is specifically a casino card gaming method utilizing a conventional fifty-two card deck of cards. The determination of players for a round is through receipt of ante wagers by the players for a given round. The determination of players eligible for at least one bonus card is through receipt of a bonus wager from players electing to be eligible for at least one bonus card. Additionally, the determination of the relative ranking of the final hand for each player results in a paying out of players based upon the final ranking.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each hand as dealt has seven cards and each final hand has at least seven cards. Additionally, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the set of common cards comprises two common cards, and only a single bonus card is provided to the players eligible for the bonus card. Each final hand of the players eligible for the bonus card comprises eight cards and each final hand of the remaining players will be seven cards. A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides that the single bonus card is common to all of the players eligible for the bonus card.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined combinations or rankings of the final hand are combinations of four, three and two of a kind. In one embodiment of the present invention, the ranking of the predetermined combination represents four and three of a kind unassisted; four and four assisted; four of a kind unassisted; four and three of a kind assisted; three and three of a kind unassisted; four of a kind assisted; three and three of a kind assisted; three and two of a kind unassisted; three of a kind unassisted; three and two of a kind assisted; and three of a kind assisted. The term xe2x80x9cassistedxe2x80x9d is intended to refer to a final hand of a player eligible to use either the bonus card and/or the common cards, and the term xe2x80x9cunassistedxe2x80x9d refers to a final hand of a player not eligible to use either the bonus card or the common cards.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the set of common cards are selectively revealed wherein following the dealing of the first common card is the ability to anchor or protect at least one or a portion of the ante wager of the players. The anchoring of an ante wager, or portion thereof, in this embodiment of the present invention assures that at least the anchored wager will not be lost if the first dealer card is not to the player""s advantage.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is a determination of which players continue through the given round following the dealing of the original hands. The determination of which players are continuing through the given round may be accomplished by receiving matching bets by those players electing to continue through the given round.
The present invention additionally provides a casino type card game table for playing the casino card game of the present invention. The gaming table provides positions for a dealer and up to six players, a predetermined area for receiving ante wagers for all of the players of a given round prior to the dealing of a hand of cards to each of the designated players for a given round. The table additionally includes: a predetermined area for receiving a bonus wager from each of the players who elect to be eligible for at least one bonus card in a given round; a predetermined area for receiving a hand of cards for each of the designated players for a given round with each player receiving the same number of cards; a predetermined area for receiving a set of common dealer cards for a given round; a predetermined area for receiving one common bonus card for the players eligible for at least one bonus card in a given round; and a predetermined area for receiving discarded cards from the players. In one embodiment of the present invention, the gaming table may include a predetermined area for receiving at least one xe2x80x9canchorxe2x80x9d from the players of a given round. In one embodiment of the present invention, the gaming table includes a predetermined area for receiving matching wagers by all of the players continuing through the given round. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the gaming table further includes a display of the relative ranking and payout schedule for the game.
These and other objects of the present invention will be clarified in the Brief Description of the Preferred Embodiments taken together with the attached drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like elements throughout.